Now that everyone always has a good camera on hand, taking great dog pictures is easy. Even if you have a black dog. There are four key things to keep in mind to get that great dog picture.
Get down there
Even if you’re short, you’re still way taller than your dog. There may be times when the picture you want is looking straight down into those gorgeous puppy dog eyes. That’s easy – just have your dog sit in front of you and wiggle a treat or make funny sounds. If you’re good at weird sounds, you may even get the adorable head tilt shot. Or you may get jumped on, but that could be a cute picture, too.
For the best dog portraits, showing what your dog really looks like, you have to get down even with their face. If you have a really little dog, and you have to lie on the ground to get low enough, do it. There are fantastic pictures to be had if you’re down at ground level shooting your dog running toward you through the grass. If your dog doesn’t have a “Stay!” get someone to hold the leash, but be sure they’re not in the picture.
Keep shooting
In the olden days, when there was film you had to buy and developing/printing you had to pay for, it was smart to be frugal with your shutter finger. That’s not the case anymore. Keep shooting! If you take 50 pictures, there’s bound to be a keeper in there. Even when we’re taking pictures of humans who are posing and understand “Smile!” we still take multiple shots. Someone’s eyes are closed, or they’re in mid-word, or glancing the other direction.
It does take a little time to go through the pictures to find the “money shot,” but it’s in there somewhere. Delete the duds right away. It’s a chore if you leave it until later, not a big deal in the moment.
Lighting matters
It’s always easier to take pictures outside in natural light. It’s not as important now with the sophistication of most phone cameras. But it does make a difference. It’s usually a good shot if you’re in shadow and your dog’s in the sun.
But if you’re also in the sun, pay particular attention to your shadow. It can make for an interesting effect. But it could also ruin an otherwise good picture.
Overcast days are ideal for even lighting. There are lots of different natural light effects you’ll see at different times of the day. Dawn and dusk are interesting times for taking pictures. Mid-day tends to be harsher light, especially in the summer.
See everything around
Editing out the streetlamp coming out of the top of someone’s head is easier now. But it’s even better to not take the “oops” shot in the first place. A quick survey of everything you see through the lens is easy. And moving just a short distance to the side may change the picture from okay to great.
The attention to background is particularly important if you are getting low to get pictures of your dog head-on. We don’t normally see the world from our dogs’ perspective, and it is different. Things that you never notice from above become more prominent at dog level.
Never enough
If you’re like most of the dog owners we know, your phone is jammed with pictures of your dog. That’s okay. Take more anyway. There are never enough.
Every stage of your dog’s life is worth remembering. There are certainly never enough puppy pictures, ever. We’ve always meant to do a series taking a picture of a dog in the same position on the same day of every month. Maybe today is a good day to start.
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Great article! Thank you!
Thank you!